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H. A KEPHART.

Flood Fence.

No. 77,384. Patented Apr 28, 1868.

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Letters Patent No. 77,384, dated/1 m? is, 1868.

IMPROVED FLOOD-GATE.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I Be it known that I, A. KEPHART, of Fletcher, in the State of Ohio, haveinvcntcd a new and useful Improvement in Flood-Gates; and I do hereby declare that the-following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specificatiomzin which- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my invention, and

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

This invention consists of devices for use in a stream of water, for the purpose of preventing valuable property from being carried away thereby, theisame operating in such manner as to bcalways, when in use, at

' the surface of' the stream, at whatever height it may be desired, and removable at pleasure, as will hereinafter and operation.

fully appear. v I

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Inow proceed to describe its construction Similar letters in the drawings refer to like parts. 7 1

A A represent two vertical wooden posts of suitable size, the same being hinged at their lower ends to the foundation-piers a a, which latter may consist of wooden boxes, sunk to the bottom of thestrcam, and filled with stones, or they may be mere rocks, in which staples are set, for the attachment of the posts A.

B represents a plank placed horizontally of the posts A, and secured thereto by means of staples, b, in

such manner as to slide freely thereon. Vertical slats, c a, &c., are secured to the plank, B, for the purpose of catching anything floating on the surface of the stream when the water is above the common height. The two slats e, in contact with theposts A, are secured thereto at their tops in any manner that \Yllljtilmll, of the adjustment of the plank, B, at heights varying with that of" the water. 7

0 represents a secondplank, which maybe of equal dimensions with the plank, B, and is secured longitudinally thereto-by means of hinges, so as to form a valve, its purpose being to supplement in some tlegree the slats c, by discharging their function in case the water isallowed to fall below-the planlrpB, and being hinged, to offer no obstruction to the passage ofthe water in case of a' sudden flood.

In addition to the fastenings between the slats e and posts A, I employ a brace, 0, attached at one end of the piers a, and at the other end to a transve'rsebar, h, on the opposite side of the slut c. i

The combined strength of allthe fastenings, however, should not be so great as to retain the gate in an erect position when a pressure is brought to hear'upon it, as from-a flood or a mass of driftwood snllicicnt to injure it if unyielding. In such a case it is better that the fastenings should break and the gate assume an inclined position held only by its hinges z' 2'.

By means or" these hinges the gate may be laid fiat on the bottom of the stream, and held there out of the way of ice during thewintcr. If preferred, the gate may be removed altogether from the posts A during the winter, and the latter laid on the bottom.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claini as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

The hinged posts A A, in combination with the sliding gate B a, and the valve 0, in the manner and for the purpose set forth. v

H. A. KEPHART.

Witnesses:

M. DUNCAN, N. ,M. FENCE. a 

